


Kek

by ticketlove



Category: Ticketlove(band)
Genre: Laser Tag, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-03-12
Packaged: 2019-11-15 21:33:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18081290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ticketlove/pseuds/ticketlove
Summary: Gay people be dramatic





	Kek

One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

Rai counts to himself.

Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten.

Every second matters. 

Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen.

His hands shake as the numbers get higher and higher. There’s  
not a lot of time left. He knows. He really does. But there’s not much he can do. He fumbles with his gun, grasping for some kind of solid, familiar placement for his fingers that he won’t be able to find, some kind of comfort that just isn’t there. No matter how many different ways he holds it it’s always going to feel alien, feel strange, a tool meant to hurt, meant to injure, meant to kill. A tool meant to kill and yet he turns it over in his hands, time and time again, trying to find the best way to wrap his hand around the grip so that he can use it to, well, kill the best. 

Rai’s stomach churns. How many people have they already lost? How many more will they loose? He can’t look backwards, not anymore, not just metaphorically but physically, as well, as the sights of Kihei, of Ryujiro, of Suyin, Ashley, Minami, sprawled out on the floor, unmoving, unchanging, makes him sick. His team—- not even that but his friends, both his team and not, lying limp on the ground just behind him with nothing that he can do—- it’s absolutely disgusting. Had his hands not been clammy from the feeling of the cold, metal gun he’s sure he would be absolutely stricken looking into Suyin’s dead, glassy eyes that seem to practically watch him as he crosses the floor, hesitant to step into the battlefield beyond. Rai doesn’t know what to expect when he crosses the threshold. He doesn’t know who will be there. What horrors he’ll see. It’s terrifying. Absolutely terrifying, and yet he doesn’t have a choice.

For his friends, for his team, for his family, he stalks on. His footsteps fall heavy, and he wouldn’t be surprised if someone was watching him, now, steadying their aim, readying their final shot. It would almost be a relief, maybe, to join the rest of them, again, where they lie on the ground, bodies mingled and limbs askew until Rai can’t tell where one body begins and the other ends. Kihei’s head is even rested on Ryujiro’s chest—- it’s romantic, almost. A lover’s death. 

Rai’s breath hitches at every little noise he hears, the echo of his own footsteps nothing but a way to heighten his paranoia. One step forward, two steps back, they say—- Rai takes one step and proceeds to spend the next minute searching, checking, looking, searching, checking, looking, making sure nobody is to the left, to the right, north, south, east, west. His heart races as he hears a small ‘clank’ before he realizes that’s the rattling of the gun in his own shaking, twitching, sweating hands. Anxious, nervous hands. 

Once he’s out of the open, Rai runs over to hug the closest wall—- it makes him feel shameful, almost, like a coward, but the semblance of security he gets from it is overwhelming, finally a side he doesn’t have to keep his eye on, finally a direction he doesn’t have to turn to. There’s a figure, not far away, leaned against the wall. Friend or foe, Rai can’t tell, he aims his gun, holding it uncomfortably in his hands, the cold artificiality of it a stranger to him. Should he call out? Will that just alert the enemy? Is this a trap? A trick? Rai approaches, hesitant. 

“He-Hey.” He says, when he’s within earshot. The figure is sitting on the ground, hunched and leaning forward, their lower back to the wall and legs spread out before them. It’s a gil, Rai notices, long dark hair, tan skin—- Aria! It’s Aria! He could barely recognize her in the dark, but now, now he sees, it’s her, his teammate, his friend. Rai runs forward, puts his hand on her shoulder. He gives it a squeeze. Nothing. Shakes her. Nothing. “Aria...” Rai’s voice trembles, slightly, when she doesn’t respond. Her head lolls to the side, slightly, and her face, even now, has a smile on it. Rai feels his gut wrench, his stomach churn, he feels absolutely sick to his very core, but there’s nothing he can do besides leave her be. 

He needs to keep going. For her.

He walks over her, stepping around her legs askew in order to proceed along the wall, not giving his opponents an opening, not even for a moment. It’s not too much longer before the wall comes to a corner, with an opening nearby, just a few paces to the left, one just big enough to fit him if he bows his head slightly. Rai steadies himself, sets his shoulders, strengthens his resolve. He forces himself to take one last, deep breath and ducks his head in.

“Rai.”

He hears his name the second he steps into the room, but it’s already too late. The barrel of a gun is already against the small of his back, poking, prodding, teasing, almost. Playful. There’s a certain spot, right between the back and the neck where if one is shot it will be painless, fast, killing instantly, snapping the spinal chord and ending any suffering. Perhaps his assailant will be merciful, today, Rai won’t fall painful as he had watched others do time and time again. He raises his arms, slightly, as a police officer might ask of him, and turns around, slowly, and there stands Yamada, his gun now aimed straight at Rai’s chest, his eyes dark, his jaw set. His gaze eyes follows Rai’s right hand as it returns his gun to its proper holster around his waist, and then goes back to its previous position, even leveled with his head, almost in surrender (but not quite). 

“Yamada.” 

Rai can’t help it—- he smiles. Even with a gun aimed at him, Yamada looks good. Really good. His hair is a little tousled, of course, and his lips are pressed into a straight line, firm and tight. Rai is, also, of course, well, afraid. Who wouldn’t be? But if he’s got, what, maybe two minutes left, he might as well enjoy them, right? He’d already failed Aria. And Kihei. And Ryujiro. And Suyin. He’ll see them again soon. Might as well apologize then. 

“Do you have any last words, Rai? I’ll be nice, this once.” Yamada doesn’t falter at all, in fact he just jams the gun deeper into Rai’s chest, right above his heart, digging deep into the padding of his vest. Rai’s mind races, working harder than it ever has before, running through all the different things he could say, all the moves he could make, anything he could do to either 1.) Enjoy himself, or 2.) Get the Hell out of there. Rai opens his mouth to speak, then closes it again, then opens it one last time. He’s struggling for words, and Yamada notices. “If you’re unprepared I should just shoot you no—“ 

But he never gets the chance to finish, because Rai cuts him off with a kiss. 

“You don’t have to be so cold, Yamada” He says, pulling away, just slightly, to make eye contact and lick his lips, slowly. Yamada is thrown off, Rai can tell, his face is flushing red and he hasn’t given Rai a cold, unforgiving rejection yet, like he would if this were any other public place, any other day. “Give me one last good time before I go~?” Rai practically coos into Yamada’s ear, going to nibble at the lobe. He’s softening up, Rai can tell. His cold, unrelenting front is breaking down, little by little, piece by piece, as Rai goes to trail kisses along his jawline, his cheek, the corner of his mouth. 

Yamada still has his gun pointed at Rai, of course, but to close the distance between them it’s now angled up, right by Rai’s collarbone and pointing at his chin. Yamada holds Rai’s victory, his life in his hands, everything he is, has ever been, and will ever be. It’s nerve wracking, but it’s also really, really, REALLY hot. 

Rai takes the barrel of the gun in his hands and he gently, slowly, points it away from himself. “You don’t need this, do you?” Rai asks, whispering against Yamada’s lips, his tone is somewhat ludic, defiant, confident despite not being the one in control of the situation, not being the one holding the killing machine in his hands. 

Yamada narrows his already half-lidded eyes at Rai, ridden with both suspicion and desire. “You’re just trying to get out of here alive, aren’t you?” he asks, and Rai grins at him. 

“Maybe so.” He says. “Does that mean we can’t enjoy ourselves in the meantime? Wouldn’t you rather scratch up my back than hold that gun?” 

Sasuke hums, slightly. He’s not impressed, not quite yet, but he’s considering it. “Convince me.” He says, and Rai takes it as a challenge. Lost the war but won the battle, as they say. Rai’s right hand cups Yamada’s face as the left gently pulls the gun out of his iron grip, with soft tugs and careful coaxes. His thumb goes to rub at Yamada’s cheek, stroking it gently before he goes in for another kiss, soft, kind, and slow. Everything that they’re not. It makes Yamada absolutely melt, putty in his hands, and Rai finally gets the gun out of Yamada’s grasp and throws it across the room, as far away as he can get it. 

Yamada’s right hand wraps itself around the back of Rai’s neck, keeping him locked in, and Rai thinks that even if he were to protest (which he isn’t for sure, he really isn’t) he wouldn’t be able to escape. It’s a miracle that this worked, really, this hair-brained, chaotic scheme he came up on the spot in order to, if not save his life, let him get some before he died, or even rise a laugh out of Yamada, and yet it really worked, and better than expected. He got the gun. He’s got his kiss. He won, as far as he’s concerned. 

Now, all he needs to do is finish Yamada off. Rai still came here with a purpose, after all, and he’ll be damned if he lets Yamada get in the way of it. He trained too much, worked too hard, watched too many of his friends fall only to give it up now to have a little bit of fun with the enemy. He’s just glad they’re walled off, separated from the main floor, where bodies lay piling. The guilt would have been too much for Rai to stand long ago. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Except not really, because as he’s dragging his tongue against Yamada’s bottom lip he’s sharply reminded that all his friends are gone, and hell, maybe Yamada was the one who killed them. 

Rai doesn’t even bother to pull away as his hand reaches for his gun, still sitting it it’s holster, same as before. ‘Is this worth it?’ he thinks, bitterly, as he cracks his eyes open, just slightly, to look at Yamada below him, so pretty and perfect, smooth skin, long eyelashes, beautiful soft hair that hangs just in front of his face. He could’ve had this. He could’ve held Yamada every day, like this, could have kissed him gently and loved him passionately. 

But he doesn’t have that chance now, and he won’t get it by waiting here. 

Rai holds the gun in his hand, as unfamiliar as ever, and he wonders how Yamada could be so used to it, so used to feeling the weight, used to holding it, used to aiming, used to shooting, used to killing. “Hey, Yamada.” Rai says. His voice is soft, barely audible, and he almost thinks for a moment that Yamada hadn’t heard him. Rai angles his gun, pointed right at Yamada’s side. Should he pull the trigger, it would hit his internal organs, rupturing them, ruining him, left to fall and die as Rai stands and watches, watches as Yamada writhes in pain, with no sympathy, no aid. Rai falters. 

“I love you.” Rai says.

“I love you too, Rai.” Yamada says.

Rai’s finger fits itself over the trigger. Just a few more seconds. Just a few more. He wants to save this. On ten. 

One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

Rai breathes in. 

Six. Seven. Eight—-

A loud, obnoxious beeping sound stops his counting, his thoughts, his lips against Yamada’s, and he pulls away, in shock, to see a wide smirk on Yamada’s face, cocky, confident, cunning. Rai looks down. His old, worn vest the laser tag venue had given him is flashing red. He’s dead. 

The lights that had been dimmed slowly light themselves back to life. Aria quickly rushes to Rai’s side, coming in through the door Rai had just entered, followed by Kihei, Ryujiro, and Suyin who saunter in slightly later. “You used me!” Rai says, and his hand goes to grip at Yamada’s collar, wrinkling the fabric of his (mostly unbuttoned) button-up. Yamada’s smile doesn’t falter, not even for a moment. Rai isn’t really all that angry—- he’s really just overreacting, as usual, so Yamada takes the liberty of laughing at him. “Where did you even get that from!?” 

“Yori gave me his. Said he didn’t need it.” It makes sense, it really does, because Yori would never be able to muster the confidence to, by god, actually shoot a gun, be it laser or not, but for some reason it still pisses Rai off. Why couldn’t he have just given it to Hiroki, or something, instead of the best shot on this side of the prefecture. 

“That’s cheating!” Rai says, and he shakes Yamada slightly. “You’re a cheater!”

Aria runs up to separate them, prying Rai’s hands away from where they clutch at the front of his boyfriend’s shirt. “What’s gotten into you?” She says, and for a second Rai thinks she might actually be concerned about Yamada before she follows up with, “I thought you were going to win for us!” 

“Why’s there a gun over here?” Kihei and Ryujiro are squatting near the corner, where Yamada’s old gun had been long discarded. Kihei picks it up off the strangely-patterned neon carpet and spins it in his hands a few times. He looks across the room at the others. “What even happened with you two?” His gaze shifts from Rai to Yamada and back again. “I told you we shouldn’t have trusted him. Gay people always pull this shit.” 

Rai thinks he can hear Ryujiro say something along the lines of, ‘Hey, don’t say that,’ but he’s got too much on his mind to worry about their little lovers quarrel when he was having one of his own. “Was everything I did for you nothing!?” He asks, dramatically, and Yamada reaches up to adjust his glasses, a nervous tick he’s had as long as Rai has known him. 

“What do you mean by ‘everything’? A half-hearted makeout session? If I’m going to let you get the best of me I should get a little more, don’t you think? Impress me later tonight, and then we’ll talk about some leniency next time.” 

Aria has to hold Rai back before he lunges. It really was pretty funny how they were more competitive outside of the game than in it, which Rai guesses is why Minami is holding back a giggle fit. A tired, frazzled worker comes out of the entrance behind the flag and watches the scene with a mix of fear and fatigue. “The next round will be starting soon, uh...” She watches as Yamada laughs at Rai’s feeble attempts to fight back. “I’ll give you all a minute.”

“Aria— Aria let go of me!” Rai asks and she, of course, doesn’t comply. “Why were you laughing at me, earlier, I’m still mad over tha—- LET ME GO!” Rai kicks and punches and slaps and hits but none of them connect, each one either blocked or avoided entirely as Aria dishes whilst still holding Rai’s dominant arm in her hands. 

“You looked nervous. It was funny.” She’s still snickering, even now, and in her amusement Rai sees an opening, ripping his arm from her grasp and scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. 

“You were supposed to be playing dead.” He says. For this last round, they made a pact that they would all play dead for ~the dramaticism~ of it. It was Minami’s idea, but it must’ve gotten pretty boring pretty fast. A punishment for the losers, Rai supposes. 

“I was trying!” Aria says, and Rai finally gives up. It’s useless. She never gives in. The two of them could be here all day, arguing who the bigger looser here was, but Rai decides for the time being to just count his losses and move on. 

Yori and Hiroki soon make their way into the room, side by side, and Yori goes to retrieve his laser gun from Yamada as Hiroki takes his time to, as usual, taunt and mock Rai. “Good going, Raimen. Thanks for the win~!” He’s got a shit-eating grin plastered on his face, and Rai can’t help but get the feeling he’s being attacked from all sides here. “Are you two done? They’re waiting to start the next round?” 

“Yeah...” Suyin trails off, slightly, tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ears. “Let’s start the next one.” Had Rai been holding them all up? He hadn’t really noticed, between his fight with Yamada, and then his fight with Aria, and then his, well, he guesses it was almost a fight with Hiroki, too. He apologizes, quickly, and everyone takes position for the next round to begin.


End file.
